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Liquor & Music Licenses

NC ABC permitting · ASCAP, BMI, SESAC · Durham contacts

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Summary Numbers

Lead Consultant Fee
$1,200
Vickie West — NC ABC Consulting Services
Total to Get Licensed
~$4,000
All-in including state fees, ABC permits, music licensing setup
Ongoing Annual
~$2,500
Renewals plus ASCAP/BMI annual royalties

NC ABC Liquor License

Approximately 4–6 weeks after lease signing to obtain — assuming the application is submitted promptly and Durham Police Department local review is on standard timeline. The right move is engaging a consultant who has navigated the process before; doing it solo adds weeks of avoidable back-and-forth.

Consultants Under Review

Vickie West Recommended

Sent email requesting meeting · 11/23

Firm: NC ABC Consulting Services Permit Specialists

Founder Vickie West has over three decades of experience at the NC ABC Commission.

Focus: Retail permits, special one-time permits (nonprofit), and personalized assistance with the entire process.

(919) 274-3416

Alcohol Management Reviewing

Sent email requesting meeting · 11/23

Focus: "Turnkey" ABC permitting services, responsible beverage service training, and risk management consulting.

Worth meeting because they bundle responsible-service training into the engagement — useful for onboarding the FOH staff at opening.

Bill Cox Reviewing

Sent email requesting meeting · 11/23

Firm: Rawls, Scheer, Clary & Mingo

ABC Case Manager and Consultant. Specializes in ABC law, licensing, compliance, and defending against violations — over 20 years of experience.

Based in Charlotte, statewide services. Best fit if we anticipate complexity or want a law firm relationship from the start.

Durham-Specific Local Contact

For questions about the local review and sign-off process in Durham specifically, the designated liaison with the Durham Police Department:

Local Government Contact · General Permit Questions

Officer Andrew Wilkinson

Durham Police Department — handles local review of the ABC application
Phone
(919) 560-4322 ext. 29173
Email
Wilkinson@durhamnc.gov

Music Licenses

This is genuinely surprising the first time you encounter it: even if you only play original music, you still need a license. Even playing the radio publicly in a commercial venue requires licensing. The three U.S. performance rights organizations cover essentially all commercial music, and most bars license at least the two big ones.

ASCAP

Required

Covers the largest catalog of pop, rock, country, hip-hop, and contemporary repertoire.

Annual fee scales with venue size and music use (live, recorded, both).

ascap.com/users/licensefinder BGT rate sheet (PDF)

BMI

Required

Different catalog than ASCAP — overlaps slightly but covers many artists not in ASCAP. Most bars license both.

Similar fee structure to ASCAP — budget for both.

bmi.com/licensing

SESAC

Optional · review

Mainly classical and European repertoire, but also some country, gospel, and indie. May be okay to skip if our music programming doesn't lean classical.

Reviewed case-by-case once the music programming is set.

sesac.com/music-licensing
Even original music played live requires public-performance licensing. Even playing the radio aloud in the bar requires licensing. The performance-rights system covers any commercial public performance of copyrighted work, which in 2026 is essentially all music. Build ASCAP + BMI fees into the operating budget as a fixed annual line.

Sequencing & Timeline

  1. Week 0 — Lease signing. The 4–6 week clock starts.
  2. Week 1 — Engage consultant. Vickie West is the lead. Application package gets prepared.
  3. Weeks 2–3 — State application submitted. Durham Police local review runs in parallel (Officer Wilkinson liaison).
  4. Weeks 4–6 — License issued. Need this in hand before any liquor delivery is accepted on premise.
  5. Pre-opening — ASCAP + BMI licenses signed. Annual fees set up before doors open, before music is played.
  6. Opening day — All license certificates posted as required by NC code (visible to patrons and inspectors).

Related Pages

For the WYE-era Letter of Intent that triggers the ABC clock when executed, see the LOI archive in the project files. For software systems that will track liquor sales for ABC reporting compliance, see Software Stack.

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